Empire Petroleum to Merge With Fellow Fuel Distributor

DALLAS — Empire Petroleum Partners LLC is merging its assets with Arkansas Valley Cos.

According to Empire Petroleum, the addition of the Arkansas Valley retail dealer business significantly enhances Empire's fuel volumes in Oklahoma while also strengthening its relationships with its branded partners, including ConocoPhillips and others. 

Additionally, Arkansas Valley will add the Sinclair brand to Empire's list of branded fuel partners.

Weister Smith, owner and founder of Arkansas Valley, will continue to be a part of the new company. "We welcome Weister to the Empire family, and look forward to working with him to continue to grow in his markets," said Hank Heithaus, CEO for Empire Petroleum.

Smith added that after 40 years as a petroleum distributor, "I found it time to partner with a company that I trusted and would want to continue to grow on the successes that we have experienced at Arkansas Valley. We believe that Empire will be successful not only with the assets that we currently have in place, but will continue to grow well into the future."

Dallas-based Empire Petroleum is a motor fuels distributor of several brands including Chevron, Shell, Valero, ConocoPhillips, Marathon, Citgo, Texaco, Sunoco, BP, Exxon, Mobil and Gulf.